The Forgotten War
by Enter the Honey Jar
Summary: Over a hundred years before Final Fantasy XII, a young Archadian soldier becomes entangled in one of Ivalice's most brutal conflicts, and inevitably, events that changed the world forever. Part one of two. Ekt x young Rael? stay tuned
1. Act Prologue

**Notice to all readers: This story was initially rated "M" for graphic violence and profanity, but has been toned down to a "T+", so to speak. Some scenes may include borderline "M" violence. Keep this in mind. **

War is only a cowardly escape from the problems of peace - Thomas Mann

* * *

_** Prologue: Act One  
**_

A century before the fall of Nabradia and the Archadian Empire's southern push out of the continent of Valendia, a bloody struggle between the expanding empire and the small island nation of Suur ignited. While Archadia's intent revolved purely on northern domination, the peoples of Suur held fast in the face of Manifest Destiny. Due to the remoteness of the conflict in relation to the political hot-spots at the time (Reciprocity treaties in Nabradia and the proposed construction site for the Nalbina Fortress), little to none of the actual fighting or the atrocities committed at Suur were ever recognized by the international community. Naturally, Archadian efforts to screen this information from the rest of Ivalice lent a hand in what would become to be known as, "The Forgotten War".

Nevertheless, to fully understand the leaf, one must first look to the root. In the fires of Amnen did the true hatred originate; decades before the establishment of Suur and its people.

* * *

Approximately 90 years before the rise of Gramis Solidor, future emperor of Archadia, a man by the name of Xavian Solidor sat at the throne. Emperor Xavian was a natural leader and an unequalled tactician, and was viewed by many to be a descendant of the Gods themselves. Nevertheless, he carried on the militaristic tradition of the house of Solidor. Passed down to him from his father, Dionysius, Xavian pursued what he believed was his divine right: complete domination over the 4 central Ivalician continents in the name of Archadia. After the empire's borders swelled enough to cover over two thirds of the Valendian continent however, sustaining the vast political network became too daunting of a task for any one man, even Xavian. Consequently, he divided the Archadian Empire into 6 sub-divisions: Tyre to the West, Itea to the North, Sidion to the East, Sarepta to the South-West, and Niniveh to the South-East. Ur, the 6th province, he directly controlled the affairs of and placed it nowhere other than around the capital, Archades. Xavian then entrusted 5 of his closest officials to independently govern each state they were appointed to. These officials were granted the power to operate their respective state however they pleased, so long as they complied with the demands of the higher authority. In other words, any decision or act passed through the Senate and authorized by the emperor, be it political, economical, or military, must be fully and unconditionally attributed to the state in question. Mercantilist trade relationships between Ur, the 5 states, and the various conquered nations were established, and brought about 4 years of relative peace throughout the Valendian Continent (Pax Archadia). 

It was not long before Emperor Xavian had the furnace of the Archadian war machine re-lit after hearing rumors of a mystic substance discovered in the Republic of Amnen, just east of Niniveh's borders. This substance, known by the locals as "Scarlite", had certain properties which allowed the fusing of practical magicks to mechanical instruments and, to Xavian's particular interest, weapons. He initially sent and envoy to Amnen, requesting samples of the Scarlite in return for the country's right to sovereignty, when Archadia moved into the territory surrounding the small republic. His offer was promptly rejected. Although completely oblivious to the fact that the Amnenians themselves had already begun to develop technologies using the offensive capabilities of Scarlite, Xavian was swift to counter the small republic's rebuttal with military intervention. He ordered the official of Niniveh, Amarus de Corsi to assemble a contingent of soldiers to occupy Amnen, assuring him additional reinforcements would be available in Ur if required, although he believed this would be completely unnecessary.

This was not the first time Emperor Xavian had a fault in his judgment, but this time, the cost for his underestimation of the Amnenians was the decimation of the entire Niniveh Division.


	2. Act 1 Chapter 1: Sunrise

No one goes into war thinking God is on the other side. - Terry Goodkind

* * *

Sunrise. 

Beams of light passed through the tall conifers surrounding the camp of the 3rd Niniveh infantry regiment. All was silent, other than the occasional snore echoing from the tents and the chirping of birds high above the canopy. It was the 9th day of the campaign, and troops were already exhausted from the endless slogging through the Amnenian highlands. The men were drilled to expect minor resistance from the natives en route to the town of Schull, their first objective, but so far not a single Amnenian was seen. Even the scouts failed to identify an enemy after scouring the local mountain range, and all of this made Ekt very uneasy.

"Duvol, are you awake?" The young soldier shook his comrade after attempting to unsuccessfully fall asleep several times.

"I sure the hell wasn't a moment earlier. What do you want boy?"

"Doesn't all this calmness worry you? We're deep into Amnen and all we've fought is our hunger. I mean, they're expecting an army coming for them too right?"

"Ekt, honesty, why don't you start worrying once we ARE in combat….trust me, you'll have mush more than hunger to complain about when the heads start flying."

"But there's not even anyone on guard...suppose they attack now, we'd all be done for. And the scouts! they haven't reported back since yesterday, and if they got KIA then we'll all be in dreck, well, they would send a flare...unless they somehow couldn't and..."

"I swear to god, if you don't shut up this very instant, your head will start flying. Do I make myself clear?"

Duvol turned away to face the side of the tent, trying to escape the nervous rants that he had to deal with every morning since they left. He understood that Ekt was still fresh from the academy, and his enrollment there was by no means his decision. There was some controversy over assigning such a young individual to the first task force into Amnen, especially when the second youngest member of the detachment was no less than six years older than he was. Everyone knew that he was there purely of his father's judgment, but mostly due to the fact that Ekt could not seem to contain the impulse to tell every single battalion member about it. Nobody overtly despised him, but he was naturally the subject of much ridicule. Some even joked that it was because of Ekt's long, irritating rants that no Amnenians had shown up since their arrival, and would eventually annoy the people out of their own country.

Failing to recognize that his problems just didn't matter to anyone else, Ekt foolishly rolled to the other side and shook another comrade's sleeping sack.

"Manni, I have something I need to..."

"Piss off." The sack grumbled.

Ekt sighed and crawled out of his sack. Slipping on some leather sandals, he unfastened the straps holding the flimsy tent hatch closed and stepped out into the open. The icy air bit at his skin and sent the hairs rising along his neck. Reaching down into his undergarments, he pulled out a packaged slice of salted cockatrice he kept from the previous meal: this was among the dozens of survival techniques he was forced to learn of his own, for the others saw it as a necessity for him to do so. 4 nights ago he left his meal stored in his boot which he left outside the tent, only to find in the following morning that the boot had been torn open by animals, half of his food was devoured, and the rest had frozen into what appeared to be a lump of coal. Ekt had a crash-course in boot mending that day as well, and somehow managed to lace up the hole with sections torn off his uniform. He bit off a thin piece of the meat and chewed it hungrily. Someday, he thought, someday would be worthy enough carry on the family name. Someday he would earn that right of passage, and for Ekt, Amnen was the key.

It took the better half of a day for the regiment to finally clear the dense forest, and by afternoon they had reached a vast field surrounded by glacier tipped mountains. The air was colder than ever, and Ekt shivered in his chain-linked garments. The leather straps around his hastily repaired boot had been rubbing up against his ankle for the past couple of days, and now they were severely infected. He grimaced now and then, not because the pain from the wound intensified with every passing hour, but he could clearly feel the pus pooling at the bottom of his sole as well.

"Captain, permission to clear my boot." groaned Ekt.

Duvol sighed. "Ekt, this is the 5th time already today. Why couldn't you have brought this to the attention of the medic before it started to run?"

"I was not aware, sir, that minor abrasion wounds could turn out like this."

"It is not your health I'm concerned about, lad, but your damn pigheadedness. I don't want you developing bad habits this early in the campaign alright? Courage and cripple a man, but stubbornness can cripple an army. Remember this."

"Sir, I..."

"Can you make it to the town?"

"Yes sir."

"That's more like it. I'll have Trent check out that wound once we get there."

"And if they are hostile sir?"

"Not to worry lad, we're not here to fight them. Well, not yet at least."

"What do you mean?"

"It depends on how the negotiations turn out. Supposedly they have an official there to whom I will deliver a package, but...that is none of your concern. Fall back in formation." said Duvol, and trudged forward in silence.

Ekt could clearly sense the apprehension in his captain's voice, but dared not ask him why. He turned to Manni, the second youngest of the battalion. It was because of this that Ekt frequently spoke to him, much to Manni's annoyance.

"What'd you figure about that package? Sounds important to me."

"Where exactly have you been for the past decade? This thing could decide whether we burn down the town or not."

"What??"

"Huh, figures. I guess the brass presumed you'd break the quickest if you were ever interrogated, so they did a little clipping to your briefing. Ever heard of an ultimatum before?"

"What's an ulitamation?"

"Retard." Manni muttered, and strode ahead.

Ekt winced again; the leather around his ankle was soggy with fluid and the pain was becoming unbearable. Looking ahead, he noticed several of the troops at the front of the formation stop and gather around what looked like a wooden post. Many more stopped to see what the commotion was, and soon the entire regiment was at a standstill.

"Alright, alright. Who stepped in the chocobo-bomb?" Duvol chuckled as he pushed his way through the crowd.

"Not exactly sir. You might want to take a look at this." said a soldier.

"Oh?"

The post was about head-height, painted a deep red, and mounted on top was a helmet of an Archadian scout.

"This insignia...isn't it the same as our..." Ekt sputtered.

"Gear up men!" Called out the captain. "Our hosts are expecting us, it would be rude to keep them waiting"


	3. Act 1 Chapter 2: Darkness

It is only the dead who have seen the end of war. - Plato

* * *

From that moment on, nobody said a word. Some were nervously looking back forth at their comrades' faces; as if to get one last glace before they never saw them again. The walls of the town were in plain view now, and its residents undoubtedly knew why they were coming. The soldiers too, understood what they were about to do to Schull; all but Ekt. By the time the regiment reached the gates, dark clouds had blotted out the evening sun and snowflakes fluttered in the breeze around them. Captain Duvol stepped forward. 

"I, Captain Lamont Duvol of the 3rd Niniveh Regiment, Archadia, demand these gates be opened in the name of his majesty, Emperor Xavian Solidor."

Silence.

Furthermore, I bring with me a charter of His final offerings; a token of His divine mercy. It is my understanding that a government official is here form the capital is he not? Open the gates!"

The tall palisade doors slowly swung open.

"Forward.", mentioned Duvol to his soldiers.

The men assembled themselves and marched through the gate. Ekt peered outside from inside the thin slits of his helmet. From every doorway and window of every house, hundreds of piercing eyes stared back into his; women and children, the men and the elderly, even the livestock all seemed to be filled with a sort of silent rage. Duvol calmly led his men down the street and into the town square, and glancing back, noticed that the gates had been closed behind them. This did not trouble him however; he knew that they would open again, very soon. From the crowd that quickly gathered around the Archadians, a black clad man came forward. He and the captain greeted each other with a small bow and began their discussion. Although Ekt was facing the crowd, he could tell by their expressions and the heated voiced behind him that the "negotiations" were not going well. Suddenly, the peoples' eyes all widened in terror as he heard a sword pulled from its sheath. Ekt strained not to turn around. All was perfectly silent except a brief murmur by the official behind him and...

Thunk.

The crowd scattered in all directions.

The soldiers drew their swords.

Screams of horror soon filled the air.

The captain shouted his rehearsed lines.

Members of the regiment took off after the disarrayed mass of people, cutting down the nearest they could see.

Ekt stood there, frozen. His legs were shaking uncontrollably; cold sweat ran down his face and neck. Hewn bodies began to fill the streets, soaking them with a crimson red. Townspeople ran into their homes and the soldiers followed them. From within came futile cries of mercy, and they were swiftly followed by the sound of splitting flesh. Some of the building had already been torched; the demented screams of their inhabitants muted by the roaring flames. A gloved hand grabbed Ekt's shoulder and shook it fiercely.

"Ekt? Is that you? Gah!! I knew you wouldn't take this as easily as the brass had hoped." It was Manni's voice.

Ekt spun around to find that he was face-to-face with a blood-covered Archadian soldier. He did not know why, but at that very moment, Ekt was horribly afraid of him. He stared at the soldier, motionless.

"Ekt!! Why are you so damn useless!? Get over here!"

Ekt was pulled down the streets by the wrist, his legs so weak he could barely stay standing. A headless body of a child caught his foot, and sent him stumbling into a wall. His heart pounded against his chest. With every erratic breath he took, fumes from the burning carcasses filled his senses. His mind was a void, his vision began to dim. Moments later, Ekt vomited all over the inside of is mask and slumped on the ground, unconscious.

* * *

When Ekt came to his senses, he was greeted by a foul stench of blood and puke. He doubled over and purged his stomach a second time. It was nightfall, and although Ekt could not tell just how long he had been out for, he knew for certain that he was no longer in the town. Ekt managed to prop himself against a boulder, and from sitting upright he could see an inferno glowing orange in the distance. Undeniably it was Schull. He stared blankly at the steadily rising flames, illuminating the field with flickering light. 

Some shrubs to the left began to rustle, and an Archadian soldier with a white armband stepped out from between them.

"Ah, there you are. Manni didn't really give me a much in the way of landmarks to work with. He was just like, over there, and pointed toward the snow-covered field right? Ha ha, give me a friggin' chance I said." He took off his mask.

It was Trent, regiment medic and healer. Ekt did not know much about him, other than the fact he was soft-spoken and well respected among the troops. Not to mention that women found him absolutely irresistible.

"So, let's see this ankle of yours. Can you take your boot off for me?"

Ekt tried to speak, but no sound escaped his mouth.

"A bit in shock I see!" Tent smiled. "Not to worry young man, it is a very common syndrome among the newer recruits. Symptoms are lightheadedness, nausea, impaired thinking, you know, all that fun stuff. I'm pretty sure you just went through the whole list right now by the look of it."

Trent pointed to his chest plate, and Ekt noticed that his own was heavily stained with vomit. Slipping off Ekt's boot, Trent grimaced at the deplorable state of the infection. A musty odor rose from the ankle, and pus filled sacs contrasted bright red skin.

"By the gods! Not even my week old socks smell as bad as this, and trust me, whenever I put up my socks in the morning, at least three birds are knocked clean out of the sky. You got the case of the stale cheese my friend."

Ekt couldn't help but to chuckle a little, in between coughs. He felt safe at last.

"Your voice is coming back! We're making progress already!" Trent laughed.

The snowing stopped as the clouds parted above, revealing a bright quarter moon. Before long, Trent had cleaned and bandaged the ankle and gave Ekt some ointment for some later use.

"The bandage will come off eventually, I'll bet, within the next 6 hours. When it does, put this grease on the wound until I get the chance to get another look at it. It'll keep it from getting infected for a short while, but make sure you fix that boot while you're at it; the stuff will just rub right off inside that thing, and I'm no tailor," smiled Trent. "So are we good?"

Ekt nodded thankfully.

"Good man."

The medic patted his patient's shoulder and began to head back into the bushes.

"Trent..." Ekt managed to whisper.

"Yes lad?"

"The others...where are they?"

The light from Trent's face faded.

"They are...concluding their business at Schull. They should be along shortly."

Ekt hung his head; memories from the town were already coming back to him.

"Don't worry; I'll be back within the hour. I promise." smiled Trent, and disappeared into the field.

"Why..." whispered Ekt. "I...don't...want...this...I...don't...want..." he repeated over and over, braking into tears. His white breaths rose up into the starry night sky, and vanished into the darkness.

* * *

Ekt had a glimpse of hell that night; a witness to what would become to be known as "The Rape of Schull": the event that marked the beginning of The Forgotten War. Little did Ekt know that he would be the only Archadian at Schull to tell the tale. The only 3rd regiment member to escape Amnen with his life. 


	4. Act 1 Chapter 3: Rain

The victor will never be asked if he told the truth - Adolf Hitler

* * *

Schull burned for most of the night. The regiment set up camp in a nearby clearing, just south of what remained of the town. Apart from the sentries, the soldiers all slept soundly in their tents. Ekt however, whose mind so vividly remembered the massacre of the townsfolk, was tormented ruthlessly throughout the night.

* * *

Ekt stumbled out of his tent and ran to a nearby stream, sweating profusely. He dunked his head in the frigid water completely, and then reassured himself with his own reflection. Everything's attached, he thought to himself, and for a moment he felt a sense of relief. The moment did not last long. Glancing upstream, Ekt noticed irregular mounds off where he could not quite recognize them in the dim morning light. He cautiously approached one. It appeared to be a moss-covered log, and, oddly enough, part of a belt was buried within the green as well. Ekt pulled at the belt, sensing an opportunity for a souvenir. It seemed to be caught on something much larger. Frustrated, Ekt pulled at the leather with all might. Not only did the belt come loose, it dragged along what Ekt thought was the log, which rolled over in the river with a splash. Ekt froze. Manni's ghostly white face stared back at him, mouth gaping. 

"Oh...god...oh...god..."

Ekt quickly ran further upstream to the other mounds, and discovered the fate of three more men; together they made up the entire overnight shift. He bolted back the camp yelling frantically:

"Alarm!! Alarm!! The sentries are dead! Somebody!!"

Manni's vacant gaze of death filled Ekt's mind, and he struggled to keep the tears from welling up under his eyes.

"What! What is it??" yelled Duvol as he burst from his tent.

Ekt paused. He knew that he was face to face with the man now responsible for the massacre during the previous night, bit it was no time for doubt or hesitation.

"Four men, all that made up the sentry duty," panted Ekt, "are dead in the stream sir."

"How??"

Strangled perhaps...I did not see a gash or a puncture wound or any sort..."

"Oh_dreck_!!" shouted a half-dressed soldier as he peered into a tent. "Captain! This tent's hit! They got Mallory...those...animals!!!"

"Sir! We've got dead over here as well...wait...one of them is still alive! Trent!! Somebody get Trent!!" called out another.

"Holy_Bhadra_!! Five more in this tent! What the hell is going on!!?

* * *

Far off in the distance, a dark figure lay crouched in the bushes, listening. With snort of contempt, he rose to his feet and slipped on his running pads. With it, he tied his long ears to the back of his head, and disappeared into the mountains.

* * *

Meanwhile, air filled with the distraught shouts of soldiers as they discovered more and more of their comrades and friends either disemboweled, or having their throat slit. As many as six tents were hit out of the initial fourteen that made up the regiment camp. In total, fifteen men had been executed overnight, including the four sentries who were later dragged out of the stream. This left the remaining twenty-six to bury the dead in mass graves; a long and arduous task of digging into the frozen earth. 

"Can't we cremate these bodies instead?" panted Ekt and rammed his small foldable shovel into the dirt.

"Goes against Archadian military tradition." mumbled a soldier next to him. "Something about claming the land for the greater…I dunno. But whatever it was, I remember not seeing much sense in it either."

"Did...did you know Manni?"

"Manni huh? Fellah with the attitude? Sure did, we shared a course in cartography back in the academy. It's a shame he went the way he did...but at least he's free now."

"What do you mean?"

"You know, from the war, the bullshit, all that. And his father."

Ekt halted. Suddenly the reason for his presence in Amnen in the first place became clear again.

"Why his father?"

"I really shouldn't be tellin' you this," sighed the soldier. "But now that he's gone, I guess it makes no difference."

"Did they hate each other?"

"Oh, it was much worse 'n hate. His old man was a hard-ass I tell you, one of those "model-citizens" or whatever, complete faith in the emperor, no matter outrageous the act...yeah...one of those guys. A big fan of corporal punishment he was...always had his cane with him. Manni was always at the receiving end for every little thing, he'd tell me, and most often the back was where he'd get the most flak...can't be showin' those wounds in public, brings up too many questions you see."

The soldier heaved up another rock and tossed it aside.

"It's only natural that he'd want to run off...well, I kinda suspected that while he was eyeing all those maps, huh, looking for possible destinations more like. And besides, aren't you in the same business he's was in?

"My father..." Ekt trailed off.

"Ah, you see? Same deal." The soldier squatted down amongst the bodies at the bottom of the ditch. "I'd rather not phrase it this way, but you two got what you both deserved."

Ekt clenched his shovel shaft.

"Lemme put this straight. You both came from wealthy, high-rolling families; people with choice and freedom. I, on the other hand, come from a shit-kicking sewer maintenance district of Old Archades...it was either the garbage bins or the corps, anywhere else and you end up robbed, dead or both, not particularly in that order though." laughed the soldier. "You see it now? Gentry, scum. Choice, no choice. Of course we had CHOICES right? But they were usually deciding which piece of garbage you'd put into your mouth to keep yourself from starving. So I'm here, just trying to pass by on some rations to survive. Imagine the irony if I get killed eh?"

He patted the forehead of one of the bodies.

"And you, with your damn family business. Pffft, give me a fucking break eh? What's keeping you from telling your dad to just piss off anyway?"

"Yeah, like I'd get away with that without him beating me up..."

"Well so what? Nothing's keeping you from hitting him back."

"I would never do that...it's just, not right."

"I used, to. Man, those scuffles I had with my old man would start at lunch and last 'till supper. Good times, good times."

"I'm not like you."

"Obviously."

"So what does this have to do with my..."

"Are you sure you're doin' this for your father?" the soldier butted in, his tone serious. "Your family even? Look, Manni joined the army 'cause he didn't have the balls to solve his own damn problems. He even told me this during our training, and I bet he's gonnna give me a whole lotta hell once I catch up with him for telling you all this. But look where that got him. First he loses all of his dignity, and then he loses his life. I wonder if you'll be any different."

The soldier paused, sensing the anger in Ekt's eyes.

"I think it's about time you realized which is more important: your pride or your life. You know that there's nothing to gain here, nothing but another slot in the obituary. We should be able to reach the rest of the division by tomorrow, and they'll definitely have a supply route open once we get there. A little bit of blood stains here and there, a bit of acting, a notice of discontinuation from Trent, and voila, you got a free ticket back to Archadia. Just sounds so simple doesn't it?" The soldier sighed. "Of course, it's your choice to become a family disgrace or a family tombstone...I'm just sayin'."

"You don't sound too optimistic about my survival here." Ekt joked sarcastically.

"No, I don't."

Ekt stared back into the soldier's eyes without blinking. The moment of silence between the two was accompanied by the steady note of raindrops tapping on their armor.

"Why...why are you telling me this?" asked Ekt in a soft voice.

The soldier smiled. "If you can save a life for free, then what do you have to lose?"

* * *

The men gathered as much as they could for supplies to begin the trek toward the Regenwald, where they would rendezvous with men from the 1st Niniveh division if operations went as planned. Trent was working on the survivors from the night raid, whose wounds to the mind were much deeper than anything superficial. Ekt was hastily packing his rations when the medic called him over. 

"Ekt, lad, you mind giving me a hand with this one?"

"Yeah, hold on." Ekt grunted as he crammed the remaining salt-meat into his sack. "So, what exactly am I doing here?"

Trent pointed to a soldier who lay on a makeshift stretcher, the bandage around his neck clearly showed that he was one of the assassination survivors. He was twitching sporadically.

"You see, I can't move this fellow without him shaking himself off the stretcher right? All I need to do is give him a little prick with this," Trent held up a long needle coated with a clear fluid, "and everything's fine. Unfortunately, life isn't always that simple. I mean, even the slightest sensation of pain sends him bouncing off the walls, and I'm not exactly in the mood to go picking bits of needle out of his arm. I definitely don't have the time for that either. This is where you come in."

Trent soaked the needle into a glass vial filled with the fluid a second time and approached the shaking man.

"Alright Ekt, hold him down the best you can, lets try to get though this as fast as we can."

With one swift motion the entire length of the needle plunged into the man's bicep. Ekt was startled by the man's sudden deranged yell as he began to convulse with a fearful intensity.

"Come on, Ekt!!"

Leaping onto the man's body, Ekt bear hugged the free arm and legs together; effectively binding the wriggling patient with a kind of human rope. The man's eyes were wild and going every which direction one could think of. Ekt could feels the man's sweat soak into his tunic, much to his disgust, but after a short while Trent yanked the thin metal shaft out.

"There we go, all done. Uh, you can get off him now…"

"Oh, sorry it was just…"

"Ha ha ha, no worries. It's just that your rather…..unorthodox approach was pretty amusing to watch."

"Right."

"I'm good from here, and you'd best be on your way lad, time's running short."

The soldier's words echoed within Ekt's head.

"Yes…..I should."

"Well, get to it soldier!" Trent chuckled and left for the medical tent.

* * *

The march back across the wide field was as nerve-wrecking as the first time, if not more so. What remained of the regiment was on full alert, ready to do battle at any moment. There was some chatter, but they were mostly about the chances of getting back to Archadia in one piece or about the family they left behind back in their homelands. Duvol did not like all of the pessimism around him. 

"Crushing our morale will be their greatest achievement," warned the captain, "don't let the dead discourage you. You are alive, and be proud of it."

Before long, the light shower just minutes before transformed in to a miserable downpour. Those who were carried on stretchers had to have thick blankets laid over them; the entire scene resembling a mass funeral under the dark grey sky. The white breaths swirled around the marching soldiers like wind swept fog. About an hour of slogging, the regiment reached the red wooden post, the only landmark they could spot other than the hazy mountains in the distance. The scout helmet was perched at the top, unchanged. A soldier approached the post and looked up at the helmet, blowing out a thick smoke as he let out a deep sigh. He reached up to retrieve the helmet; probably as memento thought Ekt.

Click.

The post exploded into thousands of shards which were sent flying in every direction. Several men within the vicinity were shredded almost instantaneously, the wooden slivers piercing every part of the body facing the blast. The forced knocked Ekt down onto the marshy ground.

Instinctively the men formed a circle around the wounded, drew their swords and pulled the shields from their back.

Ekt quickly got back up onto his feet and readied his spear, soon noticing the bloody mass of what was once the soldier who was standing in front of him; it was too close for comfort.

Not a single soldier moved or spoke; the sound of pouring rain filling the silence.

A howl echoed over the troops' heads. Not a howl one would imagine from a wolf, but a long, half-mad wail that sent the shivers crawling up Ekt's neck.

At first, there was one.

Then another.

And another.

And another.

Soon the air filled with hundreds of crazed shrieks and yells, all coming from beyond the thick fog the masked the troops' surroundings in every direction. The men waited, unmoving.

They were coming.


	5. Act 1 Chapter 3 extra: The Dream

The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear. - H.P. Lovecraft

* * *

For everybody wondering what Ekt saw in his dream that disturbed him so, here it is. It was in my original draft before I decided to pull it out due to its explicitness. This is definitely "M+" material. All of the lighthearted, for your sake, just skip to the next chapter right now. 

He dreamt of being amongst the burning buildings once again, the world around him a contrast of flickering orange and black. From the shadows rose headless, mutilated bodies of both men and women alike. They slowly limped toward him, and Ekt, as if bound by invisible chains stood there helplessly, unable to move. He saw them gather around him, and to his horror, began to tear off his garments. Once he was naked, they dragged his body onto a white marble pedestal in the middle of the square. Lying face up, Ekt tried desperately to escape, but again, he was completely paralyzed. Four saws then appeared over each limb and he cried for mercy at the top of his lungs, tears streaming from his eyes. As if in response, the saws began ripping into his flesh, sending hot blood all over the white surface. Ekt began screaming for his mother as he heard the saw blades grinding through his bones. His limbs broke off with a dreadful cracking noise and rolled down to the ground, where the dismembered undead pounced on them. Ekt could see them fight over his right arm, tearing off a couple of fingers in the process. A large meat hook swung down from above and lodged itself under his jaw. It was then cranked upward, but Ekt's body refused to part from the marble pedestal. Ekt screamed wildly, his eyes almost bulging out of his sockets as he felt his neck stretched to its limit and his jaw dislocate. With one quick jerk, the hook tore the bottom half of his face right off; tendons snapping and blood dripping from the piece of Ekt that now dangled above him. With one last gurgling noise Ekt saw no more, at which point he woke up in his sack, sweating profusely.


	6. Act 1 Chapter 4: Ambush

Either war is obsolete or men are. - R. Buckminster Fuller

* * *

The rain beat down on the regiment as they waited; their foe just beyond the thick grey curtain. Hours passed without the howl ever ceasing, and Ekt's ears began to ring with the noise from the demented choir. Now and then the sounds seemed to be coming closer, but quickly withdrew before any soldier could make out exactly where it was coming from. At nightfall the howling finally ceased, and with it the clouds lifted away. No sign of the Amnenians; it was only the soldiers and the vast field that surrounded them. Duvol wearily got up from his kneeling position, and was quickly followed by the rest of the regiment. 

"It is our utmost priority to reach the Regenwald," Duvol coughed, "we stay here and we may not be so lucky as to be given a second chance. Lighten you packs the best you can. Leave some rations if need be, but be sure to dispose of them properly. We don't want to leave any presents for our hosts."

The men, too tired to respond verbally, simply nodded their heads in agreement and set about cutting their load to a bear minimum. Most threw their cooking utensils out, pots and pans a common article among them. Ekt pulled out the large pack of salted meat he was packing before, and looked at it through red eyes. He pulled out a handful, took a bite from it, and stuffed the rest in his pants pocket. Whatever was left he promptly dropped into a nearby puddle, and ground it down with his boot until he could see it no longer. Chewing on what was to become his daily portion, Ekt strapped his rucksack back on and walked up to the front of the regiment, stopping to glance at a couple of soldiers tending to the dead. What remained of the soldiers who perished in the blast was not fortunate enough to be given a formal burial as with their comrades back at Schull. Laid down side by side, their faces covered with a mere handkerchief, the bodies were left to rot in the marshy fields as the men trudged off into the distance.

* * *

The dark figure rose from his hiding spot behind several patches of overgrown waterweeds as soon as the Archadians were out of sight. Crouching down until he was almost on all fours, the figure crept to where the dead lay. He carefully observed the extent to which his trap had flayed the soldiers, first by removing the armor plating, then tearing off the underlying clothing. Once the true damage was revealed, he was reluctant to continue on with his autopsy; Scarlite had never been used in this fashion before, but its fearful potential as a cruel and effective killing tool suddenly became apparent to him. It was only a matter of time, he thought, until the Archadians would reach forest, and with it, discover the deadly surprise that waited for them there. The Amnenaar will get the results they want, no doubt.

* * *

Although the overcast sky let it neither starlight nor moonlight, the soldiers dared not light a torch. The feeling of being constantly watched from every direction hounded the minds of the men as they tripped and stumbled through the darkness; wet, exhausted, and disoriented. Occasionally there was a dim light from the front of the line as Duvol checked their position with his glowstone compass. Ekt grasped onto the leather straps of the soldier in front of him, for this was the only way to avoid losing his way, let alone his mind in the seemingly infinite abyss that filled his vision. 

"Can you do me a favor and not try to drag me down every five paces?" the soldier in front of Ekt mumbled.

"Do you think I want to drag you down? I'm going insane over here." Ekt retorted.

"Well that's comforting."

"No, honestly. I see outlines of people where they shouldn't be."

"How'd you figure that, its pitch black."

Ekt thought for a moment.

"It's not like I see them as much I sense them you know? Like it's just that innate feeling you get when something's wrong."

"Lad, I don't have enough digits to count out how many alarm signals are going off in MY head right now, and that's not including what I think about your current mental state."

"So you're saying that what I feel right now is unnatural?"

"Well unfortunately, I think I'm starting to see them phantoms out there. I hope I won't stay this mad if I get back to my town back in Sidion."

"How far up North?

"My town you mean? Quite a ways. Not much to do besides working in the mines there, and to get any job with a decent salary was like a godsend. I enlisted for that very reason you see, since you're probably going to ask me about that next."

A few minutes past with only the sloshing of boots to be heard.

"Do you have any children?" Ekt said at last.

"What kind of question is that?"

"I just figured you did."

"You'd be right about that then. I have children. Three in fact, the oldest not much younger than you..." The soldier's voice trailed off.

Ekt could hear the man quietly sobbing as they walked on. He questioned him no further.

Several more hours passed and Ekt could feel his sanity slowly drift away. The ghostly silhouettes in the distance were clearer than ever. Ekt could see the agony in their faces, twisted and contorted, like those from Schull. The spirits glided soundlessly across his vision and were coming closer. Sweating, Ekt shut his eyes in attempt to block them from his mind, but snapped them back open before he fell asleep on the spot. Closer still. Visions from the Dream were returning. He nearly let out a maddened yell when he heard a soldier shout from up front.

"Torchlight! Due East! We found them! We found..."

Suddenly, dozens of bright flares shot up into the air, illuminating the field all around in a deep red light. Ekt, nearly blinded by the flashes, could see the men staring blankly into the sky, in a trance. Some who were holding the stretchers almost let go of them completely. Even captain Duvol could not gather his senses quickly enough until an all too familiar sounded resonated through the air.

The blood-curdling howls had returned to haunt them.

But this time, it brought with them, the Amnenians.

Hundreds of them.

The hoard snarled and howled at them, and a moment later charged straight at the terrified regiment.

"Retreat!! Retreat!!" yelled Duvol. "To the forest!!"

Without thinking twice, Ekt dropped his pack and ran for his life toward the flickering torch lights beyond the tree line. From the corner of his eye he could see soldiers abandoning their injured comrades on stretchers; the blanketed men cursed madly at their former friends as they left them to be overrun. There were loud screams of soldiers being cut down behind him. The howls from behind were getting closer. Ekt's final strength was beginning to fade, his field of view narrowing down into a dark tunnel. All he could see now was the little firelight in the distance, but before he could take another step the ground around him suddenly vanished. With it, he heard a deafening explosion and Ekt was thrown high in the air.

"Why..." thought Ekt as he seemed to float through space.

Everything went dark.


	7. Act 1 Chapter 5: Amnenian

Trust instinct to the end, even though you can give no reason. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

* * *

Ekt opened his eyes to see a pale grey sky. He was being dragged somewhere, but he was too drained to think of anything else. He tried to move his arms, but his body seemed to be inside some sort of sack. Painfully he raised his chin to see what or who was dragging him. It looked like a man at first, but taller and much more slender. Two long ears extended from the top of its head, just as a rabbit's ears would; Ekt had never seen such a being before. The creature stopped and glanced back. Its steel blue eyes stared into Ekt's. With one swift motion, it kicked the flap of the sack back over Ekt's face, and the world went dark once more.

* * *

After what felt like days, the dragging finally stopped. The cover opened and bright light flooded Ekt's face. It took a while for him to adjust his eyes, but between blinks he could make out the silhouette of the creature sitting on the edge of a rocky mesa. Ekt wriggled out of the sack, his entire body aching from head to toe. After several unsuccessful attempts to stand, he crawled over to the creature that calmly looked at him.

"Water…please……my throat…" choked Ekt, pointing to his own neck.

It did not occur to Ekt that the creature might not speak his language or speak at all, but he was too desperate for moisture to think of such things.

"I have….meat…..for water….take…" He coughed distressfully. "….it…the meat…please…"

Ekt reached into his pocket and pulled out the salted meat. It was covered in mud and was already beginning to give off a foul smell, but he held it out regardless.

"See…meat…."

The creature stared at him for a while and sighed. It leapt down in front of Ekt and snatched the meat from the quivering hand, and with it, dropped a small canister under Ekt's head.

Ekt unscrewed the canister and downed the liquid inside in a single swill. It tasted alarmingly bitter and sent jitters down his spine, but it did not matter; the cool feeling that flowed down his throat outweighed all else. Ekt turned over onto his back and let every drip fall into his mouth.

"_Minn Grusch drui bissd" _the creature murmured.

"Wh…what?"

The creature shook its head and walked over to the sack that Ekt had been in. After batting it clean of caked mud, it neatly folded the cloth in his arm and took it to several bags lying in the grass.

Ekt leaned against a large boulder and looked around. The mountains that surrounded the field were gone; replaced with a vast field spreading in all directions with large mesas jutting out of the surface every five miles or so. Baffled that his surroundings had changed so much since the last time he had been awake, Ekt attempted to communicate with the creature once more.

"Where am I?"

The tall being ignored him as it walked toward some stone outcroppings, and began coaxing something from behind them in a strange guttural language. A dark grey chocobo cautiously walked out. The creature patted the bird's beak and removed its reins, praising it warmly.

"I know you can understand me," Ekt said, "at least show me a map. Or something. Anything."

The creature glanced at him for a moment and then returned to grooming the chocobo's feathers. Ekt slumped back down to the ground realizing how futile his efforts were. He should be dead; he knew that well enough. The creature was undoubtedly an Amnenian subordinate who was probably captured him for the sake of interrogation.

The creature turned to face Ekt and motioned him over with his hand. Finally on his feet, the young soldier stumbled forward. The creature proceeded to toss a couple of the bags at Ekt, picked shouldered the rest, and began walking away with the chocobo. Ekt stood there, dumbfounded. It did not take long for him to realize that cooperating with the Amnenian could mean the difference between life and death, and so he picked them up and followed.

They walked for the entire day. Ekt has collapsed several times, unable to take the physical strain. Every time he lay on the ground panting however, the creature waited patiently for him to recover. By evening they had reached the edge of a vast forest, full of conifers and pine needles. The creature dropped his bags. Instinctively, Ekt did the same. The tall being knelt down beside a boulder, took out a batch of white fluff and two black stones from a small pouch at his hip, and began striking them together. Within moments the white fluff ignited, and accompanied by a brief spell, became a crackling fire. Ekt sat as close as he could to it, basking in the warmth.

His stomach growled fiercely.

The creature gave Ekt astonished look and reached down into another pouch. The foul piece of salted meat emerged; the stench was unbelievable.

"For me?" Ekt asked worriedly.

The creature pointed at his tongue and shook his head. Just when Ekt was about to reach for the meat, the creature tossed it into the fire.

"Then….what am I going to eat?"

The creature curled up among some bags and closed its eyes.

Ekt sat cross-legged by the fire, observing the being more closely. Short, pale blond hair covered its scalp, and a cue was tied along the side. Its ears were a dark chestnut brown, much like the rest of the creature's skin, the tips a light grey; faded with age, Ekt presumed. Everything else about the creature was distinctly humanoid, except every limb seemed to be elongated beyond what would be normal for a Hume. It wore little despite the cold; only a pair of baggy cotton pants, a leather undershirt, fur vest, and metal shoulder pieces separated him and the elements.

"Are you an Amnenian?" Ekt asked cautiously.

No response.

"Where are you taking me?"

Again, the creature ignored him.

"I'm an Archadian soldier; you probably figured that out a long time ago. I was at Schull, where we burned down the buildings and killed everyone. I'm one of the people who's responsible for the massacre, doesn't that anger you?"

The creature shifted its weight over to its side.

"I mean, you're letting me live and for what? Even if you DO interrogate me I know nothing. I'm only a soldier, I follow orders."

The creature coughed.

"And you people attack us when we are weakest? With traps? Ambushes? You Amnenians have no honor. Why don't you face us in the open if you value your country so much?

I wave of hopelessness took over Ekt's mind. Ekt did not know why he was saying such things; the consequence was sure to be his death, but he had to be sure if it understood him, even it meant provoking his anger.

"Do all Amnenians look like as strange you anyway? You do not resemble any creature I have seen before…"

The creature sat up abruptly and glared at Ekt through blue eyes that gleamed in the firelight.

"I would watch my tongue if I were you Archadian." The creature growled in a low husky tone.

Shivers ran down Ekt's spine.

The creature lay back down and closed its eyes a second time.

Ekt lay down in the dirt and gazed into the fire. He now knew that the creature spoke Central and could understand what he said, and from the tone it used to caution Ekt, was undoubtedly an Amnenian sympathizer. Sleep soon took over him, and Ekt drifted off, hoping that he would not meet the same fate as the soldiers back at Schull.


	8. Act 2 Prologue

History teaches us that war begins when believe the price of aggression is cheap. - Ronald Reagan

* * *

Prologue: Act Two

For Xavian, the situation in Amnen was grim. Not only were the initial attempts to capture any decent footholds within the country were thwarted by a series of bloody assassinations, the bulk of the Niniveh division was no where near its objective. This was Arminius; the capital of Amnen. Great numbers of Archadian soldiers all over the Regenwald were being cut down by either Amnenian ambushes or what were described as "exploding trees". The natives seemed to be especially fond of the use of landmines, which peppered the mountain trails leading deeper into the country. These landmines, as observed by various survivors, were armed with every thinkable combination of dark magicks, some which were new to even the most skilled war mages.

By the following month, the number of Archadian casualties had risen to 4,521, more than half of them fatalities. Field hospitals could not keep up with the influx of mangled soldiers and many perished due to infection or hypothermia in the frigid Amnenian climate. Despite all of the losses on the invaders behalf, not a single Amnenian death was recorded as of yet, a figure that displeased Xavian greatly. To make matters worse, the 3rd Niniveh regiment, which was dispatched to eliminate the town of Schull and any possibility of the Amnenians regrouping, had never reported back to the Division.

It would later be discovered that the delayed advance of the Division put them two days behind schedule. The regiment, which was presumed to be waiting for the Division at the edge of the Regenwald due to the delay, was given up for lost after two weeks without any contact; its men promptly issued MIA status. However, due to the mortality rates of Archadian soldiers being what they were, the soldiers were eventually labeled as KIA and all search efforts for the missing men were terminated. Letters of condolence were sent out to the families of the men in question, the last of which was sent to a small family living in a textile district of Archades:

* * *

"Dear Mr. and Mrs. Bennon, 

We regret to inform you of the untimely death of your son, Pvt. Ekt Bennon, 3rd Niniveh Infantry Regiment. To lose such an enthusiastic and accomplished soldier comes is shock to us all, especially given the age at which he left our side. Ekt was frequently the centre of attention within the academy, and his youthful cheer was renown for bringing smiles to the faces of all those around him; his brightness will be greatly missed by both men and women here alike. During this difficult time, I know you will draw upon your own strength and the strength of loved ones to hold him close in your hearts and thoughts. You have my deepest sympathies; Archadia has lost one of its most cherished children."

Yours truly,

Javis R. Ordalias, Director of Student Services, Silkwater Military Academy, Nilbasse, Coronation Way, Archades

* * *


	9. Act 2 Chapter 1: A New Life

**Wow. This story must have a pretty low profile to have only 2 reviews and 175 hits in the past couple of months. Darn. Tell me what you think everyone! Your opinions are one of the things I need to write a better story!**

**A New Life**

A frigid breeze as two dark figures trudged though a vast, barren tundra. It was almost evening, and the sub-freezing temperatures made their white puffs of breath clearly stand against the orange sky. One of the figures knelt down to the ground, bowing his head to retrace the scent he was following before. Unsuccessful, he squatted down among some low-lying bushes and started building a fire. The second figure, a young Hume man, sat down beside him and drank from his canteen. Looking out into the seemingly limitless bounds of the wasteland that surrounded him, the young man thought of the home he once had, the once place he could call his own; the very place, which in all probability, he would never see again. Ekt scratched his now clearly visible beard and reflected upon the last two turns of the seasons he had spent in the Amnen wilderness.

After being saved by the creature after the ambush, the creature, Ekt thought, must have presumed Ekt owed a life-debt to him; to be a servant, a tool, nothing better than a pair of arms to carry luggage and a pair of legs to move them. Ekt tried to escape many times, but was consistently thwarted by the harsh winter climate, and was forced to face the humiliation of coming back to the Amnenian who just waited patiently for his return.

Ekt despised him.

Ekt also recalled a time when his depression was at its worst. The constant urge to take his own life filled his mind, and the yawning crevasses that they were walking past at the time seemed more enticing than ever. But the Amnenian seemed to know exactly what Ekt was thinking about. Every time Ekt peered down into the depths, the creature would grasp his shoulder and shake his head in disapproval. This did not stop Ekt from attempting to give himself a dysentery however, and after sever days of guzzling puddle water, his body weak, hopes of death nearly became a reality. Again, the Amnenian would save him when his condition was worst; a batch of horrible tasting tablets down his throat and the pain was relieved within a day. The reason why the creature was keeping Ekt alive eluded the young imperial, and weeks of constantly asking his why passed to no avail.

Ekt abhorred him.

After four months of traveling with the Amnenian, things began to change for Ekt. Not only was he taught innumerable survival skills by the creature, though instruction at times involved little more than hand gestures and simple mannerisms, the Amnenian would speak to him in his guttural tongue. As time passed, and picking up verbal similarities between the strange language and Central along the way, Ekt could eventually understand some of what the creature was saying. Yet, his sentiment toward the creature remained the same.

"_Kochen'ei di Gnasch._" He would command, and Ekt obediently wandered around looking for firewood.

What were most unnerving were the Amnenian's frequent absences from the campsite, sometimes days at a time, forcing the Hume to scrounge up whatever he needed to survive on his own. Starvation almost became a daily routine.

Ekt hated him.

At about midnight, with the crescent moon looming high in the sky, the faint flickers of several small fires off in the distance began to appear. The territory they were in was much too far from Archadia for those around the fires to be Imperials, Ekt thought, but deep inside he felt thrilled to be around people again, even if they did turn out be more of the enemy.

It took another hour to reach the camp, and when they did, Ekt thought twice before believing what he was seeing. The inhabitants were not Hume, not to any extent of the word, but wolves; long braided manes extended from the back of their heads and necks, and wavered around their shoulders. Most wore very little despite the weather, but the fact that the strange creature wore clothing and walked on two legs was enough to baffle Ekt completely. One of them casually approached the Amnenian.

"It has been a while Brother." It grinned.

"You...you speak Central??" Ekt stammered.

The wolf-man glanced toward the wide-eyed Hume and mumbled something to the Amnenian questioningly.

"_Nur Einperlunschd, guur nai._" He responded.

"It is unlike you to take sla...captives, my dear Duon." The wolf-man chuckled. "But we have more pressing matters at hand. The Oyuun-kaa is waiting for you in the far tent, and as for you," it turned to look at Ekt. "I think you have a lot to tell and ask us. Jarg! Escort this Hume to my tent, I will be along shortly."

A grey furred wolf-man on Ekt's left nodded and mentioned him over.

"This way, Hume."

Ekt followed without question.

As they walked between the rows of animal hide tents, several wolf-children poked their furry heads out of the leather flaps to catch a glimpse of the peculiar visitor before their parents pulled them back in.

"Is this your first time among my people, Archadian?" The wolf-man asked in a mannish voice.

"How did you know that I wasn't from Amnen?"

"Your smell is much more different than theirs. Our noses are sharper than you think, you know."

"That's not surprising considering you're a canine"

"Please," The wolf-man whispered. "Such demeaning words do not favor well when spoken amongst those who take grave offence to them. Especially us."

"I…I'm sorry."

"I don't blame you. Our existence is unknown to most of the Amnenians, even to some of the other nomads who wander the Vast. It is only natural that one would conduct one or two, say, faux pas upon meeting us." He opened a large fur veil covering the entrance to one of the tents. "Wait in here for now, your questions will be answered soon enough."

"Thanks." Ekt stepped into the tent, hesitated, then turned around. "My name is Ekt. Ekt Bennon."

The wolf-man seemed surprised. "You share your sir name with me Hume! There is _much_ you must learn about our culture before we let you explore it," He chuckled and began to walk off. "My name is Jargal. Jarg for short. I have a feeling we will be meeting each other again, quite soon."


	10. Act 2 Chapter 2: Edification

**Edification**

Ekt closed the flap and sat down on a dark red rug that was laid in the centre of the floor. Wolf-people? Duon? The Vast? Nomads? Ekt stared at the red hot coals in a small urn across from where he was sitting. They filled the small tent with a soothing warmth; just as the countless who's, what's, where's and why's filled Ekt's mind. The coals began to dim. Ekt heard a rustling behind him, and he glanced back to see the Amnenian and the wolf-man, who was conversing with him earlier, looking down to him. Ekt instinctively bowed his head. The silver-haired wolf smiled and sat cross legged across from him, and with a snort, the Amnenian did the same.

"I presume," The wolf started. "That my good friend here has not fully made you aware of what, or who I am."

"It's more like not at all, really."

"Oh?"

The long-eared creature grunted.

"The one that lead me here, Jargal I think was his name, said something about your people and the nomads...I've never heard of any such people in my history texts in school...Nor anything about what he is." Ekt pointed to the Amnenian. "What are you?"

"Direct. I like it." The wolf-man grinned, teeth gleaming. "We are the Kai, a nomadic people who claim the upper reaches of this land, the Vast, for ourselves. I am Jalair. It would be wise to address me as Jalair-kaa from now on, around my people especially."

"Why would that be?"

"_Kaa_ is a suffix in our language," The creature interjected. "It is Kennt for "High-chief" or "Lord". Naturally, this makes him your utmost superior, and you the lowest subordinate."

"Do not be too brash with him, he is still young."

"The harder the lesson, the faster the learning."

"Might I remind you that your "methods" are not always the most...orthodox."

"My "methods" have given him more growth in two turns of the seasons than in twenty without. You would have wept in pity at what state he was in when I first found him."

"Pardon me, Jalair-kaa," a soft female voice came from outside the tent. "The Sajuuk-kaa is being requested at the training ring."

Duon glanced toward Jalair, who simply shrugged and nodded.

Getting up onto his slender legs, he gently parted the veil and strode confidently out into the open. Ekt could just catch a glimpse of several Kai gathering around him the very moment he left the tent.

"He seems to be popular around here."

"Especially to our womenfolk, much the males' frustration, "Jalair chuckled. "Regardless, he is not called 'Sajuuk' for nothing."

Ekt game him a puzzled look.

"Sajuuk," The Kai explained. "Is amongst the most archaic words in out language. Originally, I believe, the term was used to negate the word 'death', or, in some cases, to describe something that would not die." He paused. "Do you know what it is?"

"Immortal."

Jalair nodded.

"But why?"

"You have undoubtedly noticed his ears have you not? Well, after two years that must have almost become normality for you."

"I have." Ekt admitted, though he could not admit that the very owner of those ears was what he loathed the most over his captivity.

"Then it would be rather odd to mistake him for what other than Viera, no?"

"I've read about_them _before. But these Viera, aren't they supposed to inhabit the Golmore Jungle? That is an entire continent away, even from Archades."

"True, but Duon is a special case."

"How so?"

"He is not 'pure', so to speak. Apparently his mother was a Hume."

"You mean, mixed-race parentage? That's disgusting!"

"Unfortunately, the members of the village that he was born unto shared your thoughts, " Jalair sighed. "And not long after maturing was he thrown out of the Wood and cut off from the Green Word. The Viera hold tightly onto their traditions, and Duon is a victim of it."

"You said something about…the Green Word?"

"A strict set of guidelines that all Viera must adhere to. An alternate for what you Hume call a 'constitution', if you will."

"What happened to him after that?"

"Frankly, that knowledge is beyond mine. You must understand, although he may be part Hume, Viera blood flows just as brightly through his veins. To put his age into perspective for you, we Kai live a little under twice the average Hume would. Duon witnessed my grandfather's birth. And my fathers. And naturally, mine as well."

"But…he still looks like he is still in his thirties…'Immortal' might be a fitting title for him after all…"

"Including the fact that he is one of the greatest swordsmen even to step foot in the Vast, I think so too."

"With a couple of centuries of practice, anyone could master an art."

"Yet not many are gifted with the time or the skill that Duon has. He truly is an exception, that one."

Ekt thought quietly for a moment.

"Jalair?"

"Yes?"

"I don't know much about the War, or what we are fighting for, or why. But during the time I was with Duon, I've been wondering…more like feeling…something is very wrong about this conflict. Unnatural. I can't to explain this very well…" Ekt clenched his knees in frustration. "Why am I still alive? Am I not Amnen's enemy and naturally Duon's as well? I should belong with the rest of my regiment after what we did to Schull…but at the same time, I hate so much. The War, the cold, myself, even Duon. Perhaps it is this hate that I'm feeling."

"Ekt, was it?"

"Yes."

"The only reason why you are not suspended off a lynch-line in Armen is the result of Duon's mercy, though his reasons for preserving you are his own, know this. Why he left you for days on end, gave you mere scraps to starve on, never talked to you in your mother tongue…depriving you of the _basic _Hume comforts, while accepting your hatred…all was an act to pass you off as his slave, nonetheless, before the countless border patrols that scour the region between Amnen and the Vast."

"You mean, for two years he…"

"Yes, and, in all probability to teach you a thing or two about hardship as well. It is also very likely that his absences were in fact him dealing with the patrols themselves as they came to question you two. The penalty for aiding an invading soldier in Amnen, I recall, is death by public stoning. I don't know what extent Duon is related to Amnenian authorities, but surely not even the highest officials would be omitted from that fate if that crest," Jalair pointed toward Ekt's sleeve. "Was ever to be seen by Amnen State Security."

"Why would he do this…" Ekt was filled with so much gratefulness and shame that tears began to well in his eyes.

"As I said before," Jalair softly spoke, noticing the small streams running down Ekt's face. "His intentions are unknown to me, for he would not speak beyond _what_ he did. That is something you must find out for yourself. Nevertheless, Duon's reasons for saving you must have been close to his heart…I can see no other way."

"Where can I find him?"

"You may find him at the ring, to the right as seen as you leave the tent. You cannot miss it."

"Excuse me," Ekt got up as he rubbed his watery eyes. "And, thank you."

Jalair just smiled back at him.

Ekt walked past the dozens of curious eyes toward the dirt enclosure at the centre of the camp. Soon enough, he spotted the familiar tall ears among the crowd of wolves. Duon noticed the Hume as well, an approached him as several Kai began to gather around the two."

"I believe," Duon started. "I have much explaining to do lad…"

Before he could finish, Ekt knelt down on all fours and bowed until his head touched the ground. It was the highest level of respect an Archadian could show to another, though it had some blatant implications. Some of the Kai gasped and began to whisper amongst each other. Duon sighed deeply and scratched his head.

"Do not worry son," Duon knelt down and ran his hand through Ekt's greasy hair. "You will be home soon, I promise."

Ekt could not control himself any longer. Grinding his forehead into the dirt, he wept, harder than he had ever done before.


End file.
